The Way They Were
by LongLostLove
Summary: This is a 'How they met' type of fic about Gage and Sydney. Keep in mind this is just one way of how they may have met and became partners. Feel free to write your own ideas in Fanfiction form of how they may have met. I would love to read one. Thanks!!


Walker, Texas Ranger: The Way They Were  
  
*Notes: There are many fics and theories on how Sydney Cooke and Francis Gage met for the first time. There are only little known facts about their first meeting. I have only taken those facts into consideration so please don't freak out on me if I got part of it wrong! :) Thanks!  
  
Francis Gage walked into an office to take his orders for the day. He was a Texas Rsanger for about a year then. His partner had been a Ranger for much longer. Yesterday was his partners last day. So now Gage had no partner.   
  
Yes, Gage would miss his former partner but it would be okay.   
  
But today, today was an exciting day for Gage because he was to get a new partner. He had no idea how they were going to decide.   
  
"So Gage," Gage's boss said to him, "I have about 3 or 4 people who are looking for partners, Any prefences on what kind of person you'd like?"   
  
Gage thought, "I wouldn't mind taking a rookie." Gage answered. He would like having someone that was more around his age. "And just someone whom I could be friends with."  
  
His boss looked in his files and said, "You know," He looked back at Gage, "I think I have the perfect person for you."   
  
"Cool." Gage said nodding his head.  
  
"I'll call and get'em down here right away." His boss said, "You'll be her first partner."  
  
"Okay," Gage said. But then when his boss walked away to the phone Gage thought about his boss's choice of words. So then Gage said, "Wait a mintute. Did you say 'her'?"  
  
**Sydney's place**  
  
Sydney Cooke was a rookie ranger. She thought that that sounded like some from the girl scouts but, she lived with it.   
  
Sydney was waiting to get a partner. She knew that there was a shortage of rangers and so she could be waiting awhile for a partner. So at this point, she was willing to have anyone as a partner.   
  
So she waited by the phone. After a day or so when there were no calls about a partner, she wasn't as glued to the phone as before.   
  
Then, that one fine day, Sydney was getting a drink all the way across the room from the phone. She was opening a can of soda when the phone rang. She was so surprised by the ring of the phone that she dropped her can of soda and it spilled all over the floor. So she jumped over the puddle of soda and reached for the phone. "Hello?!" She said.  
  
"Hey, Sydney Cooke?" A voice answered.  
  
"This is her." Sydney was out of breathe.  
  
"Yeah, we have a partner for you." The voice said.  
  
"Oh that's great!" Sydney answered.   
  
"Yeah," The voice agreed, "We need you down here right away. You and your new partnery already have an assignment."  
  
"Wow." Sydney said, "Okay, I'll be right down."  
  
"Good. Your partner," The voice started to say, "he will be waiting for you."   
  
Then they both hung up the phone. First Sydney jumped up with joy. Then she asked herself aloud, "Did they just say, 'he'?"  
  
**20 mintutes later, Sydney arives**  
  
Sydney walked into the office and saw that there were some people sitting in the waiting area. So Sydney sat down to wait for the man intoduce her to her new partner. Sydney was nervous.   
  
A guy was a few seats over waiting as well. Sydney thought to herself silently, 'cute guy'.   
  
The man lean over and said to her, "You look nervous."  
  
Sydney looked at him and said, "Oh." Sydney didn't know what else to say. "Maybe that's because I am nervous."  
  
The man grinned and said, "That could have something to do with it." He held out his hand for a handshake and said, "Francis Gage."  
  
Sydney shook his hand and said, "Sydney Cooke."   
  
"So, uh, Why are you here?" Gage asked.  
  
"I'm, uh, I'm getting a partner." Sydney said.   
  
"Ah," Gage said, "Don't be so nervous. I'm sure you'll get a great partner."   
  
"I hope you're right." Sydney answered.   
  
"It's the waiting that'll get to ya." Gage said. Gage did not feel that he had to say why he was here. He knew that it was possible that they woman, Sydney, could be his new partner. But how was he to know? So Gage mentally decided that unless she asked why he was here, he wasn't going to say.   
  
"Got that right." Sydney said.   
  
Just then when the man came out of his office he said, "Sydney Cooke."   
  
Sydney stood up and shook the man's hand, "I am sir. Is my new partner here?"  
  
"Yes." The man said. He turned toward Gage and he stood as the man said, "Francis Gage I'd like you to meet, Sydney Cooke." The man paused and Sydney and Gage shook hands, again. "Your new partner."  
  
Sydney looked at Gage with a funny face and said, "You didn't tell me that you were getting a partner too."  
  
"You didn't ask." Gage retorted.   
  
"You two have met before?" The man asked. Then the man waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I don't wanna know." He handed them a file and said, "You're first asignment is too go undercover and find these drug dealers that have been selling down town. Everything you need for this case is in this file. Okay?"   
  
"Okay." Gage and Sydney both said at the same time.   
  
The man left and Sydney and Gage just looked at one another for a mintute.  
  
"Okay." Gage said, "Let's get started Syd."  
  
Sydney looked at him sorta crossly and said, "Don't call me that."  
  
"Call you what? Syd?" Gage asked.   
  
"Yeah." Sydney answered.  
  
"Whatever you say Syd." Gage replied.  
  
Sydney could already tell where this was going.   
  
**When they arive down town**  
  
"Okay," Sydney said, "So we are supposed to act like we wanna buy drugs and when they show us the dope well take'em in?"  
  
"Basicly." Gage answered. "You ever do one of these before?"  
  
"No." Sydney answered honestly.  
  
"Ah," Gage said, "They're a peice of cake."  
  
"Okay." Sydney said as they got out of the car, "Let's go."  
  
So they went up to the guys and did their stuff. Luckily they took the guys in. Pretty good first case for Sydney.   
  
So Sydney and Gage spent basicly the rest of the day filling out paper work.   
  
At the end of the day Gage said to Sydney, "Not a bad first day was it?"   
  
"No." Sydney answered.  
  
"I told you you had nothing to be nervous about." Gage said, "Looks like I was right."  
  
"Yeah, well you also said that I would get a great partner." Sydney answered smartly.  
  
Gage got his coat and he flashed back the the morning and remembered what coat was Sydney's. So he grabbed her coat as well and handed it to her. "Here you go." He said.  
  
"Thanks." Sydney said, cautiously. There was something about this Gage person that she didn't like. Well, what Sydney doesn't like is usually what she doesn't understand. "Look," Sydney said as they walked down the stairs to leave, "let's get one thing straight, we are partners. That's it. Work partners only. Got it?"   
  
Gage held up his hands and said, "Hey now, I got it. Under one conition."  
  
"What?" Sydney asked, annoyed.  
  
"You give me a chance for us to be friends." Gage put an extra efort into the word, 'friends'. "We are partners and we will be seeing alot of each other."  
  
Sydney agreed and said, "Friends. Just friends."  
  
"Got it." Gage said. They kept walking and then Gage said jokingly, "If you think you can stand not being more than friends with me." Gage grinned.  
  
Sydney giggled shortly and said sarcasticly, "Oh yeah Gage, I can try."   
  
"Well good." Gage said. "I'm glad you have a sense fo humer."   
  
They both laughed shortly and then, when they got to outside the buliding they stood facing each other.   
  
Sydney held out he hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Gage."   
  
The shook hands and then Gage said, "Nice to meet you too," Gage pause before he added, "Syd."   
  
And as they walked away Sydney yelled back, "Don't call me that!"   
  
And when they both got into their cars they both stood there for a moment and thought about the day. Then they just shook there heads when they thought about each other and put the key in the ignition.  
  
But as they drove home they both knew that that day wouldl always be remembered by them. Now and Forever.   
  
And even now, to this very day where she says she was just happy and he still doesn't believe her, every night before they fall asleep they remember the way they were.   
  
~*End of Fic*~   
  
  



End file.
